FAMILY LIMITS

The circumscription of the Brassicaceae has not changed drastically since
de Candolle’s (1821b) classic monograph of the family (as Cruciferae).
In a molecular study using the rbcL gene, Rodman et al. (1996) demonstrated
that the Brassicaceae and 16 other glucosinolate-producing families formed a
monophyletic order, Capparales. More recently, Hall et al. (2002) sampled four
chloroplast markers from genera traditionally circumscribed in Brassicaceae and
Capparaceae. Their results indicate three monophyletic families ought to be
recognized, with the Brassicaceae sister to Cleomaceae (formerly subfamily
Cleomoideae of Capparaceae), and these sister to Capparaceae s.str. The family
limits recognized herein follows the traditional concept supported by these
molecular studies.